Actress Vanessa Hudgens has been busy lately. She’s starring in the TV comedy Powerless, gearing up for a role in the film The Pre-Nup, and partnering up with EcoTools to promote the brand’s #MyTrueBeautyBar tour. (It’s a mobile bus tour that’s traveling across the country sharing beauty advice and products.) SELF had an opportunity to chat with the star about her makeup and skincare favorites, and how she stays fueled up for all her simultaneous projects.

Hudgens loves playing with makeup as a means of self-expression.

As a self-proclaimed theater kid, Hudgens says she’s never felt shy about piling on the cosmetics. “I love how with makeup you can really transform or express yourself and really convey who you want to be seen as that day. I think it’s a really fun creative outlet,” she says.

One of the reasons she is working with the My True Beauty campaign is to help more women feel comfortable playing with their look. “One of the reasons women wear less makeup is because they're intimidated by makeup application,” Hudgens tells SELF.

But her day-to-day routine is pretty low key.

She starts with a bit of concealer or foundation. Her current favorite: Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick ($46). “I’ve gotten all my makeup artists on it, and they love it,” she says. “It’s lightweight and it lasts all day.” One rule she follows, whether she’s creating a dramatic look or a barely-there finish, is to blend everything seamlessly to avoid looking blotchy. Her go-to sponge is the EcoTools Perfecting Blender Duo, and it’s only $10.

Next she applies a healthy layer of mascara. Right now, she’s using YSL The Shock ($29)—but she’s not committed to any particular product and tries new mascara formulas often (could a beauty editor position be in her future?). Hudgens finishes off her makeup look with a bold, matte lip color. “I literally have a little bag in my purse that has 10 different lip colors,” she says, and her choice depends on her outfit. “Sometimes it will be a red or a dark vampy purple, sometimes brown.”

Hudgens keeps essential oils handy wherever she goes.

“I feel like smells can be really balancing, grounding, or energizing,” she says. She applies a scent like the DoTerra Serenity Blend ($33) to her palms before taking a deep breath and rubs a bit on her temples and neck, too. “It makes me feel really refreshed. Some people take smoke breaks, I take essential oil breaks.”

She adds a few extra products to her bag for those long, hot summer days.

When she's out and about for hours on end, Hudgens carries a sunscreen spray to make sure she is reapplying protection every two hours. “I don’t want no wrinkles, so I got to take care of the skin,” she says. (This is exactly why sunscreen is a year-round essential.) She uses Kate Somerville Uncomplikated Makeup Setting Spray SPF 50 ($38) to put on more sunscreen without messing up her makeup. She also carries a mini rosewater spray and powder for the midday refresh. “It makes me feel somewhat put together when I’ve been out there all day,” she says.

Stamina is key when it comes to the food Hudgens chooses to fuel up with.

With the help of a nutritionist, Hudgens has been refining her daily menu for maximum energy. Filming 15 hours a day for a TV show and a full-length film is rough. To help her power through, the actress is sticking to a high-fat, high-protein diet. That means no refined carbs (bye, sugar), and she's also not eating dairy. “The first three days I think my body went into a state of shock. It was rough—I love bread and pasta—but once I made it past those I was fine,” she says.

(Disclaimer: Cutting out entire food groups isn't for everyone. Talk to your doctor before making any major dietary changes, especially if you have a health condition, are taking medication, or have a history of disordered eating. Read more about low-carb diets—and how to do them right.)

Now, instead of toast for breakfast, Hudgens starts her day with two scrambled eggs, three pieces of bacon, half an avocado, and an almond milk latte. Her favorite meal is a rib-eye (yes, that is the fattiest cut of steak) with a mushroom puree and a beet salad. And one staple you'll always find in her fridge? Justin’s Almond Butter Packs ($2). “They are a really good snack that is high-protein,high-fat, which is going to keep me fuller longer and give me a boost of energy,” she says.